Numerous different types and styles of gaming machine cabinets have been developed for implementing various types of wagering games. There are stand-alone upright gaming machine cabinets, upright pedestal-mounted cabinets, and slant-top style cabinets for example. Each of these types of gaming machine cabinets are designed to support or enclose a number of components required to implement a given type of game. Gaming machine cabinets generally include some arrangement for supporting a display device that is used to display a result for a play in a game. The display device may include one or more mechanical reels or a video display device for generating images to simulate spinnable reels, player cards, or other elements used in a given game. Various player controls or input devices are also supported by the gaming machine cabinet for allowing the player to make various inputs required to participate in the various games that may be offered at the gaming machine. Various types of physical buttons are commonly used as input devices for a gaming machine. These physical buttons may be actuated by a player to select a wager level for a given play in a game, select active pay lines for reel-type games, select hold cards or cards to be discarded in playing card games, activate information menus, and initiate game plays, for example.
Physical buttons for a gaming machine may be mounted directly on the gaming machine cabinet. However, most modern gaming machines locate the various physical buttons on a button panel that is secured in some fashion to the gaming machine cabinet. Such button panels are commonly mounted so as to form a ledge that projects forwardly from a plane of the display device. Also, gaming machine button panels are commonly mounted on a front door of the gaming machine cabinet. The cabinet door may be hinged or otherwise supported on the remainder of the gaming machine cabinet so that it may be readily moved between a closed operating position and an open position in which the interior components of the gaming machine are accessible for maintenance.
Gaming machine button panels have been mounted from outside of the gaming machine cabinet using screws or other fasteners. These button panel mounting arrangements may include a bezel or other trim piece to cover the fasteners to improve the appearance of the gaming machine. Gaming machine button panels have also been mounted from the inside of the gaming machine cabinet using screws or other types of fasteners. Prior art button panel mounting arrangements suffer from the fact that tools such as screwdrivers are required in order to remove the fasteners holding the button panel in place. Other types of tools may be required for removing trim pieces prior to removing the button panel fasteners. The small fasteners are easily misplaced during a maintenance operation and replaced in order to reassemble the gaming machine to place it back in service.
There remains a need in the gaming industry for a button panel mounting arrangement that allows the button panel to be installed and removed quickly and easily, preferably without requiring tools. Any such button panel mounting arrangement must be robust to withstand the rigors of use and must securely hold the button panel in place to prevent unauthorized access to the interior components of the gaming machine.